External Courses

Courses for Healthcare Professionals working in Palliative Care

Palliative Care Unit, University of Liverpool

Courses 2025/2026

Advanced Communication Skills Training

Two day course exploring effective communication within healthcare and examining the application of specific communication strategies to complex healthcare related interactions. Offered face to face or online.

Various Dates available:

• • 22-23 June – Liverpool (F2F)
  • 17 – 18 September – Virtual
  • 21 – 22 September – Liverpool (F2f)

Register here.

Training for Facilitators

Training For Facilitators is a three day, multi-professional course that prepares facilitators to deliver high quality, evidence based Advanced Communication Skills Training. The main aim of the workshop is to enable participants to develop their knowledge and understanding of teaching and assessing communication skills at an advanced level.

Delivered by expert trainers, the course provides an opportunity to gain up to date knowledge of the evidence base surrounding the application of communication skills training and course design. You will explore how to set up and facilitate role play, using video feedback and discussion safely and effectively, understand and manage group dynamics and learn how to work with actors. The course has been used to train facilitators nationally to the standard of the National Advanced Communication Skills Programme (Connected) and is led by Dr Susie Wilkinson and Anita Roberts.

It is open to all senior healthcare professionals who have completed an advanced communication skills training programme such as the Wilkinson ACST programme, the Connected Course or equivalent and who want to be actively involved in teaching communication skills to healthcare professionals. This course is held in person in Liverpool.

• • 10 – 12 June – Liverpool FULLY BOOKED
  • 13 – 15 October – Liverpool

Register here

Training the Teachers

This well-established international short course is suitable for healthcare professionals who have more than two years experience of working in palliative and end of life care and who are expected to provide education as part of their role.

A three-day multidisciplinary course focusing on modern and effective ways of teaching in palliative and end of life care. The course places an emphasis on how to teach and not just what to teach, providing you with the opportunity to:

• Examine specific teaching formats and consider how they can be applied to teaching practice
• Explore a range of teaching methods and delivery skills
• Discover how the Kolb model can be adapted to enhance Palliative Care teaching
• Design learner centred education aimed at specific groups.

The course continues to be run in collaboration with Dr Ruthmarijke Smeding, a senior Educational Psychology Consultant from the Netherlands, and aims to equip senior professionals with modern and effective ways of teaching in palliative and end of life care using specific educational theory.

6 – 8 July 2026

Register here

Click here for additional information. Contact course administrator Alison Holcroft for enquiries or to book and pay via invoice.